Bobbin structure for circular knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A plurality of angularly adjacent bobbin supporting carrier means are mounted on a circular knitting machine over the station of the operator, and at independently adjustable height so that the bobbins are accessible to tall and short operators.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Richard Schmidt Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany [2]] Appl. No. 809,786 [22] Filed Mar. 24, I969 [45] Patented June 29, 1971 73 Assignee FranzMont G.ni.b.ll.

Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany [32] Priority Mar. 22, i968 [33} Germany [31] P17 60 016.7

[54] BOBBIN STRUCTURE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 66/125, 66/163,242/131 [51] hit. I D04bl5/40 66/ 125,

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[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 116,677 7/1871 Bradford 242/131 (X) 1,260,069 3/1918 Sawtell 242/ l 3 l FOREIGN PATENTS 756,115 8/1956 Great Britain 66/125 l,006,222 9/ l 965 Great Britain 66/125 Primary Examiner-Robert R. Mack-ey Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: A plurality of angularly adjacent bobbin sup porting carrier means are mounted on a circular knitting machine over the station of the operator, and at independently adjustable height so that the bobbins are accessible to tail and short operators.

PAIENTEU JUN29 m7:

SHEET 2 CF 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Circular knitting machines are generally provided with a bobbin supporting structure mounted on a central pillar projecting upwards from the top of the machine. The bobbins are located at such a height that they are difficult to reach for operators, and particularly for short operators.

In other circular knitting machines according to the prior art, a bobbin supporting structure is placed on the floor adjacent the knitting machine which has the advantage that the bobbins can be mounted at an accessible level, and that the yarns can be guided from the bobbins over the head of the operator to the feeding devices by which the knitting systems of the machine are supplied with yarns. The disadvantage of this construction is that the yarns which are singly guided to the respective knitting stations form a dense sheet and become entangled with each other. Furthermore, the paths of the several yarns are of different lengths so that the tensions are different in yarns associated with different knitting systems or stations so that the loops formed at each knitting station are different.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of known bobbin supporting structure for circular knitting machines, and to provide a simple bobbin supporting structure for supporting bobbins in such a manner that they are equally accessible to different operators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bobbin supporting structure whose height can be adjusted so that the bobbins are accessible also to short operators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bobbin supporting structure by which the bobbins are supported in a position directly overhead an operator standing adjacent the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of carrier means for the bobbins, each of which is mounted on the top of the knitting machine for independent vertical adjustment, and carries a plurality of bobbins.

With these objects in view, the present invention relates to an improvement of the bobbin supporting structure of a circular knitting machine. One embodiment of the invention comprises supporting means preferably including a plurality of vertical bolts spaced in circumferential direction and mounted on the top portion of the knitting machine; carrier means, preferably including a plurality of carriers mounted on the bolts of the supporting means for up-and-down movement between a plurality of adjusted positions of difierent height; and bobbin supports mounted on the carrier means circumferentially spaced about the knitting machine.

Bobbins mounted on the bobbin supports are disposed at different heights in the adjusted position of the carrier means, and can be placed within the reach of operators of different heights.

If the number of bobbins is not too great, the carrier means may be mounted for vertical movement between adjusted positions on a central vertical pillar. However,.if the bobbin supporting structure is to be used with a circular knitting machine having a great number of knitting stations, requiring twice as many bobbins than knitting stations, the weight may become too great for a single-supporting pillar, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced upright supporting bolts is provided, each of which supports a carrier means for independent movement between adjusted positions of different heights, a plurality of bobbins being supported on each carrier means.

It is advantageous to provide each carrier with a sleeve mounted on a support bolt for vertical sliding movement, and to secure the sleeve in an adjusted position by a clamping screw.

In order to mount a plurality of bobbins in circumferentially spaced positions at the outer end of each carrier, each carrier .includes a radial arm at the outer end of which a part-circular bar is provided. The bars are arranged in end-to-end relationship and form a circle concentric with the axis of the knitting machine. Each bar has a plurality of bobbin supports, projecting from the same alternately in inward and outward radial directions, and having mounting means for the bobbins at the free ends thereof. It is advantageous to use carrier bars having a circular cross section so that the bobbin supports can be mounted on the same angularly adjustable.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each carrier has a downwardly and outwardly extending low arm on which the carrier bars are mounted, and an upwardly and outwardly extending arm. The outer ends of the upper arms are preferably connected by a circular bar, from which supports for yarn guides project radially outward. Each yarn guide, and preferably also a breakage detector, is associated with one of the bobbins so that the yarns are guided from the bobbins up to the yarn guides, respectively, and down from the same to the knitting machine above the level at which the bobbins are located.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however. both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, partially in section, illustrating a circular knitting machine provided with an embodiment of the bobbin supporting structure of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with some parts omitted for the sake of clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, a circular knitting machine 20 is shown whose construction is not an object of the present invention. On top of the machine, a stationary cover plate 3 is provided which is fixedly secured to the supporting structure of the knitting machine 20. It is assumed that the knitting machine 20 has 48 knitting stations 15. Each knitting station requires two bobbins 1a and 1b whose yarns are connected with each other, one of the bobbins supplying the yarn to the knitting station, and the other serving as a spare. Consequently, the bobbin supporting structure of the machine has to support 96 bobbins. Due to the high weight of the yarn packages on the 96 bobbins, to which the weight of a bobbin supporting structure having required rigidity has to be added, the illustrated embodiment has a plurality of circumferentially spaced upn'ght supporting bolts 2 secured to the top plate 3 upwardly projecting from the same so that the weight is better distributed as compared with a bobbin supporting structure mounted on a single central pillar.

On each bolt 2, a sleeve 4 is mounted for axial sliding movement, and can be secured in several adjusted positions of different height to the respective bolt 2 by a clamping screw 4a. In order to prevent an axial displacement of an attached sleeve 4, each bolt 2 has a plurality, for example, four annular recesses 2a into which the clamping screw 4a projects, respectively, in the four adjusted positions of the respective sleeve 4. Evidently, a greater or smaller number of annular recesses 2a can be provided in each support bolt 2. Each carrier includes a low downwardly and radially outwardly projecting arm 5, and an upwardly and radially outwardly projecting arm 10 at whose inner ends the sleeve 4 is secured. A strut 14 connects arms 5 and 10, and horizontal part-circular bars having a square cross section are secured to the outer and upper ends of all arms 10. A horizontal bar 6 of circular cross section is mounted at the end of each arm 5 projecting from the same in opposite circumferential directions, the several bars 6 and 11a being part-circular and disposed in end-to-end relation to form circles about the knitting machine concentric with the axis X-X of the same as best seen in FIG. 2.

On each horizontal part-circular carrier bar 6, inwardly projecting and outwardly projecting bobbin supports 7 and 8 are mounted for angular movement about the respective carrier bar 6 by means of bushings 7a, 8a, secured to the inner ends of the respective bobbin supports 7 and 8. Alternating bobbin supports 7 and 8 are of different lengths so that circumferentially adjacent bobbins la and also circumferentially adjacent bobbins lb are staggered in radial direction, permitting the mounting of bobbin supports 8 and 7 in circumferentially adjacent positions.

In the illustrated embodiment six carriers and six supporting bolts 2 are provided, so that each low arm S'and bar 6 carries l6 bobbins including eight inner bobbins la and eight outer bobbins lb. The ends of the six part-circular carrier bars 6 abut the ends of the adjacent carrier bars 6 so that all six carrier bars 6 form a circle whose center is located in the axis X-X.

Radially projecting rods 12 are secured to the annular high bar means 11, each rod 12 being located substantially in the same radial plane as a pair of bobbins la, lb. The annular bar means 11 is composed of a plurality of part-circular bars 11a respectively secured to the upper and outer ends of the arms 10, in the same manner as the low bars 6 are secured to the low arms 5, respectively, as show in FIG. 2. Yarn guides and yarn breakage detectors 13a and 13b are mounted on each rod 12 for guiding yarn from the bobbins la, lb first upwards to the height of the high bar means 11 and of the projecting rods 12, and then inwardly and downwardly to rollers on the machine by which the yarns are guided to the rollers 16 and farther down to the knitting stations 15. A carrier means including a sleeve 4, arms 5 and 10, a part-circular bar 6, a partcircular bar 11a, bobbin supports 7 and 8, rod 12, yarn guide 13a is mounted on each supporting bolt 2 for independent movement in upward or downward direction.

Due to the fact that the height of each carrier means can be adjusted by moving the respective sleeves 4 up and down on supporting bolts 2, the bobbins la and lb can be placed at different heights overhead of an operator standing adjacent the machine and observing the knitting stations. Consequently, the operator has only to reach up to perform a service operation on the bobbins while observing the operation of the knitting machine. For short operators, the carriers with the bobbins are lowered on supporting bolts 2, whereupon the carriers are secured by clamping screws 4a and clamping sleeves 4 to bolts 2.

The angular position of the bobbin supports 7, 8 can be adjusted by turning the bushings 7a, 80 at the inner ends of the same about the horizontal cylindrical carrier bars 6, and securing bushings 7a, 8a by clamping screws 7b, 8b.

In the lowest position of each bobbin supporting structure, as shown in the drawing, the bobbins are located below the level of the top cover 3 of the knitting machine, and only slightly above the knitting stations 15. Consequently, the very short operators can exchange the bobbins without any impairment of the observation of the knitting stations 15, or of the movement of the yarns over rollers 16 to the knitting stations 15.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of circular knitting machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a knitting machine provided with a bobbin supporting structure which can be raised and lowered to place the bobbins in positions in which they can be conveniently reached by tall and short operators, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit ofthe present invention.

What I claim as new and desire to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. In a circular knitting machine having a main axis and a plurality of knitting stations, in combination, a bobbin supporting structure comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced supporting means fixedly mounted on said knitting machine; a plurality of carrier means mounted on said supporting means, respectively, for independent up-and-down movement between a plurality of adjusted positions of different height, each carrier means including arm means projecting radially outward from the respective supporting means, a horizontal bar secured to the outer end of said arm means and surrounding part of said knitting machine, and at least one bobbin support on each bar; said bars being disposed in end-to-end relation to form substantially a horizontal circle surrounding said knitting machine and having a center located in said main axis; and attaching means for securing each carrier means in said adjusted positions to the respective supporting means so that the height of each carrier means can be adjusted to be within the reach of an operator.

2. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bobbin supports are disposed on said carrier means radially outward of said knitting machine and overhead of the operator of the knitting machine standing adjacent the same.

3. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said supporting means include vertical bolt means secured to the top of said knitting machine; wherein said carrier means include sleeve means mounted for sliding up-anddown movement on said bolt means, and wherein said attaching means include clamping screw means passing through said sleeve means and engaging said bolt means for securing said carrier means and sleeve means in said adjusted positions to said bolt means.

4. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said carrier means includes second high horizontal bar means at the radially outer end thereof together surrounding said knitting machine; and comprising yarn guide means mounted on said second high bar means for guiding yarn from bobbins on said bobbin supports radially inward first up and then down to said knitting machine.

5. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said supporting means comprise upright bolts secured to the top of said knitting machine circumferentially spaced about the same; wherein said radial arm means have inner ends mounted on said bolts, respectively, for up-and-down movement between said adjusted positions, said attaching means securing said radial arm means in said adjusted positions to said bolts; and wherein sets of circumferentially spaced bobbin supports are secured to said bars, respectively.

6. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bars have circular cross sections; and wherein each bobbin support includes a bushing slidingly surrounding the respective bar and located at the inner end of the respective bobbin support, means for attaching each bushing in angularly adjusted positions to the respective bar, and bobbin holders secured to the outer ends of said bobbin supports, respectively.

7. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said horizontal bar has a plurality of bobbin supports alternately projecting in outward and inward radial directions from the respective bar.

8. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each supporting means comprises an upright guide means secured to the top of said knitting machine; wherein said carrier means include sleeves mounted on said guide means, respectively, for up-and-down movement between said adjusted positions, and an upper arm radially projecting outward from said sleeve; wherein said arm means includes a low arm with an inner end secured to said sleeve; wherein said carrier means includes high horizontal bars respectively secured to the outer ends of said upper arms in end-to-end relation and forming substantially a circle having its center in said main wherein each carrier means includes a strut connecting said upper arm with said low arm, and a rod radially projecting from said high horizontal bar and supporting at least one of said yarn guides. 

1. In a circular knitting machine having a main axis and a plurality of knitting stations, in combination, a bobbin supporting structure comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced supporting means fixedly mounted on said knitting machine; a plurality of carrier means mounted on said supporting means, respectively, for independent up-and-down movement between a plurality of adjusted positions of different height, each carrier means including arm means projecting radially outward from the respective supporting means, a horizontal bar secured to the outer end of said arm means and surrounding part of said knitting machine, and at least one bobbin support on each bar; said bars being disposed in end-to-end relation to form substantially a horizontal circle surrounding said knitting machine and having a center located in said main axis; and attaching means for securing each carrier means in said adjusted positions to the respective supporting means so that the height of each carrier means can be adjusted to be within the reach of an operator.
 2. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bobbin supports are disposed on said carrier means radially outward of said knitting machine and overhead of the operator of the knitting machine standing adjacent the same.
 3. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said supporting means include vertical bolt means secured to the top of said knitting machine; wherein said carrier means include sleeve means mounted for sliding up-and-down movement on said bolt means, and wherein said attaching means include clamping screw means passing through said sleeve means and engaging said bolt means for securing said carrier means and sleeve means in said adjusted positions to said bolt means.
 4. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said carrier means includes second high horizontal bar means at the radially outer end thereof together surrounding said knitting machine; and comprising yarn guide means mounted on said second high bar means for guiding yarn from bobbins on said bobbin supports radially inward first up and then down to said knitting machine.
 5. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said supporting means comprise upright bolts secured to the top of said knitting machine circumferentially spaced about the same; wherein said radial arm means have inner ends mounted on said bolts, respectively, for up-and-down movement between said adjusted positions, said attaching means securing said radial arm means in said adjusted positions to said bolts; and wherein sets of circumferentially spaced bobbin supports are secured to said bars, respectively.
 6. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bars have circular cross sections; and wherein each bobbin support includes a bushing slidingly surrounding the resPective bar and located at the inner end of the respective bobbin support, means for attaching each bushing in angularly adjusted positions to the respective bar, and bobbin holders secured to the outer ends of said bobbin supports, respectively.
 7. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said horizontal bar has a plurality of bobbin supports alternately projecting in outward and inward radial directions from the respective bar.
 8. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each supporting means comprises an upright guide means secured to the top of said knitting machine; wherein said carrier means include sleeves mounted on said guide means, respectively, for up-and-down movement between said adjusted positions, and an upper arm radially projecting outward from said sleeve; wherein said arm means includes a low arm with an inner end secured to said sleeve; wherein said carrier means includes high horizontal bars respectively secured to the outer ends of said upper arms in end-to-end relation and forming substantially a circle having its center in said main axis; and comprising yarn guides mounted on said high bars circumferentially spaced from each other the same angle as said bobbin supports for guiding yarns from bobbins on said bobbin supports, respectively, inward first up and then down to said knitting machine.
 9. Bobbin supporting structure as claimed in claim 8 wherein each carrier means includes a strut connecting said upper arm with said low arm, and a rod radially projecting from said high horizontal bar and supporting at least one of said yarn guides. 